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Brazilian referee pulled out a gun instead of a red card

A Brazilian referee is facing disciplinary action after he reacted to a dispute with players by pulling a gun. Gabriel Murta was kicked and slapped by players from lower-league Amantes de Bola, while the manager invaded the pitch demanding a red card, it is claimed. Murta, said to be a policeman by day, reacted by racing to the changing rooms and returning with a firearm. Shocking footage captured by a spectator showed one of his assistants restraining Murta as he held the gun in his hand on the field of play.

The incident happened at the weekend during a regional league match in Brumadinho near Belo Horizonte, Brazil’s sixth largest city and the capital of the state of Minais Gerais. Amateur side Brumadinho was playing against Amantes da Bola - which literally translates as ‘Lovers Of The Ball.’ Referees’ association boss Giuliano Bozzano said the official felt threatened and went to look for the weapon to defend himself. He was due to undergo a psychological assessment later today and could face suspension or a permanent ban.

Footage taken on a mobile phone showed the player thought to have assaulted the referee running off the pitch as he sees the official storming towards him with the weapon in his hand. He was stopped in his tracks by his linesmen and one of the goalies who persuaded him to return to the dressing rooms and leave the gun in his locker. Mr Bozzano said: "The Minais Gerais Football Federation has already summonsed the referee and a psychologist to a meeting and I’m going to talk with him today. "On the basis of that conversation and his account of events and the results of the psychological assessment I’ll decide what if any measures to take. What’s happened is obviously not a common occurrence and I don’t want to rush into anything. At the moment it happened he’s opted for getting his gun because in his view it was a question of controlling a situation".